“German government criticizes the isolation but does nothing”

Elke Dangeleit analyzed the German government’s stance on the isolation against Ocalan and said raids aiming “not to anger Erdogan” were preferred rather than efforts to prevent loss of human life.

ANF

NEWS DESK

Wednesday, 20 Feb 2019, 16:30

Ethnologist and Die Linke politician Elke Dangeleit wrote an article for news portal Heise Online titled “Hunger strike against the isolation of Ocalan at critical stage” where she criticized the German government’s policies.

Elke Dangeleit said hundreds of people are on indefinite noalternating hunger strikes against the isolation and that 14 people including Yuksel Koc, KCDK-E Co-chair who had the Turkish MIT plan an assassination against him, are on hunger strikes in Strasbourg. Dangeleit pointed out that the situation of Leyla Guven, who is on day 104 of her hunger strike, is particularly critical.

GERMANY’S RESPONSE TO THE PROPOSAL

Dangeleit mentioned Die Linke MP Michel Brandt’s written inquiry for the federal government last month and said the inquiry asked about the isolation imposed upon the Kurdish People's Leader and the hunger strikes in Turkey, Kurdistan and Europe against it. Dangeleit said the government's response referred to a report by the CPT last year which called for an end to the isolation imposed upon Ocalan and the other prisoners in Imrali and for the prisoners to be allowed to have their families and lawyers visit.

Dangeleit said the German government pointed to the necessity for Turkey to comply with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) criteria on prisoners as a member of the Council of Europe (CoE).

A MONTH PASSES, GOVERNMENT TAKES NO STEPS

Elke Dangeleit pointed out that it has been a month since the German government responded to Die Linke’s proposal and said: “But nothing happened in the German government front. The German government criticizes the isolation but does nothing.”

Elke Dangeleit said Die Linke Federal MP Gokay Akbulut brought the hunger strikes to the Merkel government's agenda once again because no steps were taken about the matter. In the written inquiry submitted last week, Akbulut asked the German government whether they had any information on the hunger strikes, and whether they were aware that large-scale protests and demonstrations could take place in Germany in case of deaths.

TIME FOR THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT TO USE THEIR DIPLOMATIC RELATIONSHIPS

“Every day that the hunger strikes continue, (the possibility of deaths) becomes more real,” said Dangeleit and stressed that Germany, with their good relationship with Turkey, could take action.

“It is just the time for the German government to use their generally good relationship (with Turkey) in this matter.” said Dangeleit and stressed that peace in turkey or neighboring countries could only be possible through the revival of peace negotiations where Ocalan played an important role and which where ended by Erdogan in 2015.

Dangeleit pointed out that since the negotiations which ended as the isolation began, Kurdish cities have been torn down and the Kurds are in a similar position to the time of the 1999 international plot.

GERMANY’S PRESSURE AIMS NOT TO ANGER ERDOGAN

Elke Dangeleit wrote extensively on the development of the international plot against Ocalan and the history of Ocalan’s efforts for peace from the Imrali Prison. She pointed out that despite these, Germany has implemented an intense policy of oppression against politically active Kurds, which increased in time to not anger the Turkish President Erdogan. Dangeleit said the terror Kurds were subjected to has caused an increase in sympathy for the PKK and Ocalan even among Kurds and Turks who were critical of them.